What to take from RSL's 2-1 road loss at FC Dallas
What to take from RSL's 2-1 road loss at FC Dallas
Bernard Kamungo undid Real Salt Lake's 15 shot attempts and Jefferson Savarino's marker with his first career MLS goal. Plus, what to make of that non-handball call just before halftime.
Real Salt Lake built up all the momentum in the world in a pressing, attack-worthy performance on the road at Toyota Park in Frisco, Texas.
But the final payoff rarely came — and FC Dallas made the visitors pay for it.
Bernard Kamungo’s first MLS goal in the 88th minute gave FC Dallas its first win over Real Salt Lake at home since 2017, a 2-1 victory Saturday night in the North Texas suburb.
RSL hadn’t lost at Toyota Stadium since 2017, but the visitors found themselves chasing the game early after Jesus Ferreira laced one from close to the penalty spot to put FC Dallas up 1-0 in the fifth minute.
Jefferson Savarino tied it up in the 68th minute, coming off the right side and receiving a cross from second-half sub Justin Meram to head home the equalizer.
It’s the second-straight match with a goal for Savarino, who started slow but now ties for the club’s team lead with Justen glad with two goals.
“I think it’s the same goal in every game: score goals and help the team. There isn’t a big difference between today and other previous games,” said Savarino, who had a team-high four shots, including three on target. “It just happened to be another game I scored, and I hope I can carry it on to the other games.”
With the loss, RSL drops to 12th in the Western Conference with 6 points and a 2-5-0 record. Dallas moved into a tie for third with 14 points on a 4-2-2 mark.
Justin Meram’s old legs still have something to give
Maybe at 34 years old, Meram’s legs aren’t as strong over 90 minutes as they used to be.
But there’s a reason why the winger has made himself nearly irreplaceable in his 15th season in Major League Soccer. And he gave the club exactly what it needed when head coach Pablo Mastroeni subbed him into the match in the 65th minute to replace Andres Gomez.
The goal started with Brayan Vera finding Meram on the wing, and the veteran winger whipped a perfect cross into the box that Savarino nudged into the back of the net with his head.
“Meram has been a difference maker,” Mastroeni said. “He’s played different roles for this group over the years, and we had a good chat during the week. He’s stayed after a bunch of days to do a bunch of extra work, and it felt like the right moment to bring him into the game.
“For him to deliver is indicative of where he’s at from a mental perspective, not feeling bad for himself but contributing in a meaningful way.”
What might have been?
Never leave a match up to a referee, if it can be avoided, but RSL will rue what might have been had an apparent handball in the final minutes of the first half been called.
But after a lengthy conversation with referee Sergii Boiko and the video-review assistant Edvin Jurisevic on the headset near midfield, RSL took a 1-0 deficit into the break after Ferreira’s miracle blow in the opening moments.
The aggression was there for the visitors, who out-shot Dallas 11-3 in the first half and finished with a 15-4 margin through 90 minutes. But RSL only put five shots on target, and the Hoops converted both of theirs to take all three points.
A positive spin
Mastroeni has been one to find positivity in all things, and many fans will roll their eyes at it.
But RSL can take several legitimately strong takes from a road loss in the DFW Metroplex, including the level of aggressive play in a road environment, Savarino’s new goal-scoring streak, and a strong performance from substitutes Meram, Braian Ojeda, Emeka Eneli, and Danny Musovski. Ilijah Paula also replaced Rubio Rubin in the 90th minute, but the rookie didn’t have much impact on the match in stoppage time.
“You saw 11 guys on the field that work extremely hard for each other, committed to the plan, and executed — albeit for a lack of finishing,” Mastroeni said.